Seven Steps to a Pureblood Marriage
by Shadow Padawan
Summary: Narcissa and Lucius as they go through the steps to a proper, happy pureblood marriage.


Lucius comes with Intent to Court when he is just barely of age and the day after Narcissa's coming out ball. Narcissa waits impatiently up in her bedroom, wringing her hands and walking back and forth across the polished hardwood floor and thick, soft carpets. Her sisters tease her and smile knowingly among themselves.

"Come," Bellatrix says finally, grabbing her hand and pulling her downstairs. They tiptoe down the steps holding hands and cross the hall, slipping along the wall like two shadows. There is a crack in the doors of the sitting room and Narcissa, holding her breath, peeks into the room.

Lucius is sitting across from her parents. His expression is carefully blank – that is, formally pleasant – but she cannot see the looks on either of her parent's faces as their backs are to her. "I would not consider a proposal until the spring of Narcissa's seventh year at the earliest if everything goes well," Lucius is saying. Narcissa, who has just completed her fifth year, tries to not imagine how soon and how long it is until she graduates. She looks back at her eldest sister and smiles, stifling down giggles.

"I don't think it will be much of a problem, Lucius," Cygnus said casually. "I think Narcissa is very fond of you as it is.'

"Will you be escorting her to the next Ministry Ball then?" Druella puts in, practical as always.

Narcissa wants to hear more but Bella drags her away into the entry hall and hides her behind the cloak wrack. "You should surprise Lucius when he comes out here," Bella whispers mischievously, casting a disallusionment charm over her sister. "They should be done in there soon."

When Bella leaves, Narcissa stands still, hands smoothed over the folds of her skirt. She holds her breath as Lucius come out with her father and then, alone, retreats for his cloak. She chews on her lip, watching through gaps in the fabrics as he dresses and brushes out the folds in his clothing. The young Malfoy looks satisfied and she wants to jump out and embrace him. But some sense of propriety stops Narcissa cold and she bites down on her lip, thinking of what her mother would say of such behavior. As Lucius leaves she sighs in both regret and relief. Then, throwing blonde curls out of her face, runs upstairs to tell her sisters she thinks it went well.

* * *

Abraxas' wife has been dead for years. Lucius hardly remembers her. So when he comes to the Blacks to negotiate a possible marriage contract between his son and their youngest daughter, they, arguably, outnumber him two to one.

Cygnus has not changed since he was a boy – still round-faced, good-natured, and a little too drunk to the head even when sober. Druelle is, however, far from a girl. She is shrewd and to the point, never impolite but always tramping on that thin line.

While they discuss Narcissa's dowry and the expectations the Blacks have of the Malfoy heir, Lucius and Narcissa sit in the garden, curled up on an ornate bench by the fountain. Lucius draws a peacock in Narcissa's painting album and she giggles into her embroidered handkerchief.

* * *

Narcissa's crowning moment comes on a warm spring afternoon in 1973. Lucius takes her riding on one of his hippogriffs at Malfoy Manor and she sits in front of him astride the powerful creature with Lucius' arms around her waste as he holds the reins. They go soaring above the grounds in the warm sunlight which begins to turn orange as the day begins to wane and the shadows from the trees grow longer.

On the way back to the stables, Lucius allows his 'griff to feed on a patch of grass. He takes Narcissa's hand and kisses it. She watches him carefully through her eyelashes as her eyes fall half-closed. "Dear Narcissa," Lucius starts and she listens with lips half parted and her body shaking just slightly in anticipation. "Will you marry me?" he asks finally, smiling softly into her eyes.

The sun disappears beyond the horizon and the sky melts from rose-blue, to navy-lilac as she whispers back, "Yes, I am yours."

When Lucius faces the Blacks, holding the hand a of giddy Narcissa in her family's drawing room that evening, he has no doubts that Cygnus and Druella will have no objections. His father had made sure of that long ago.

* * *

Narcissa wears a white-and-gold gown to her engagement ball. The silks and satins slide over her skin and the elbow-length, white gloves are a little too warm but she hardly notices. Her blonde hair is curled and pinned up so that only some of the soft, full curls cascade down her neck and over her shoulders. "You are a vision, my dear," Cygnus says as he puts the black spinel necklace on her. Druella blinks rapidly and sniffs into her handkerchief. Narcissa beams and fingers the ritual necklace. At the formal announcement that night, this necklace will be replaced with the Malfoy necklace of emeralds. Bellatrix hugs her sister before they apparate to Malfoy Mannor for the ball and for just a moment, Narcissa feels very strongly the absence of Andromeda. Meddy had left a gaping hole in Narcissa's existence when abandoned them and Narcissa tries to push the thoughts of her sister – former sister – out of her mind as much as possible. Especially tonight. She has the right to be happy tonight.

Lucius meets them at the doors and Narcissa instantly notes the peacock feather trimmings on his robes. On other people the style may have looked ridiculous but on Lucius it is fantastic. Narcissa smiles as he takes her hand. Soon, she will be able to easily hold his hand without gloves, even in public.

"Lucius, have you made an unfortunate attempt to transfigure yourself into a peacock?" Bellatrix quips from behind Narcissa. Their parents hiss at her, Druella chiding in a low whisper, barely heard over the music, for Bella to mind propriety.

Lucius merely smiles mysteriously and leads Narcissa out onto the dancefloor. They dance and laugh and Narcissa thinks she could not possibly be happier. She barely has a single glass of wine but her head is light from the singular closeness to Lucius and his arms around her. She finds herself, more than once, studying his lips and wondering how it will feel to kiss him.

The announcement itself is brief and hardly daunting. Narcissa stands beside Lucius as Abraxas' speaks in his baritone, which carries through the ballroom with no enchantment and, seemingly, no effort on Abraxas' part. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce the engagement of my son and heir, Lucius, to Ms. Narcissa Black." There are applause as Lucius takes off Narcissa's necklace, his gloved fingers lingering a little too long on the nape of her neck, and replacing it with the emerald one. The green of the precious stones and the gold fabric of her gown blend together for a moment and sparkle happily. Narcissa looks up into Lucius' grey eyes and waits, perfectly still, as he leans forward and kisses her lips. Her eyes fall closed and she breathes in Lucius' cologne. Her head spins and she can feel herself falling into her new life.

* * *

Narcissa and Lucius wed in June. A tented roof pitched over an open area of the Malfoy Manor grounds protects the guests from the summer sun during the ceremony. Narcissa walks down the isle, her three bridesmaids carrying the long veil that covers her face and falls in a trail to the ground behind her. Her white dress glows and melts into her fair skin and light hair until it is like she is not a girl but an orb of light. Lucius waits for her at the front with his best man beside him. Narcissa knows, rather than sees, that it is Rodolphus Lestrange. She has eyes only for Lucius.

She stands facing him at the alter and listens as the wizard doing the binding speaks, holding his wand over their clasped hands. When asked, Lucius says, "I do," with a calm assurance that makes shivers run down Narcissa's back.

The Binder looks to her and asks the same of her. Narcissa feels her whole body go tense and her childhood flashes before her eyes. It's almost like she is dying. But she is dying to be born again as a phoenix, even more beautiful than before. "I do," she nearly whispers. Strings of light burst from the Binder's wand and wrap themselves around her and Lucius' hands seven times.

"You are henceforth married," the elderly wizard says with a sudden trace of warmth in his tone. Lucius lifts Narcissa's veil and they share their first kiss as man and wife.

* * *

"Lie back," Lucius says quietly, calmly, to Narcissa who sits on his – their – large bed in her silk nightgown feeling far too exposed. She is excited and scared at the same time.

The bedding ceremony has been carried out privately for a couple of decades now, but the ritual candles and fertility incenses and potions are still properly arranged in the Malfoy bedroom Narcissa lays back as she is told and watches Lucius as he slowly undresses. "Take off your nightgown," Lucius purrs and Narcissa does as she is told.

Lucius lies beside her and traces her naked body with his hands. She trembles with excitement which she cannot contain. Her eyes roam greedily over his body and she wonders what this will feel like. "I love you," Lucius whispers into her ear.

She nods numbly, unable to look away from him. "I love you too." He makes love to her. It's slow and he is patient with her. It hurts and she cries quietly only to have Lucius kiss away her tears. It hurt but she wants it. She wants to be this close to him. She is his wife and their lives are bound.

* * *

It takes years for Narcissa to give Lucius an heir. Her firstborn, and last child, as they later decide, is a boy, long awaited and long-suffered. Narcissa had always been delicate but she had never thought that that would impact her ability to conceive or carry to term.

They name the boy Draco and the day after the birthing is over, Narcissa sits in bed with the child feeding from her breasts. Lucius comes in and stands in the doorway. "You have done everything I could ever ask of you now," he says quietly in a tone of honest appreciation.

She smiles up at him. "We're really a family now." She looks between her husband and her son, knowing that despite the war, despite the constant fear, despite anything and everything, they will always be together.


End file.
